IPL 2023 Eliminator: Akash Madhwal hands Lucknow a nightmarish defeat

Self-destruction. That would be one way to put Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) batting as they bowed out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) following a humiliating 81-run defeat to Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Eliminator.

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Avoidable blunders, batters not turning up, Nicholas Pooran’s dismissal – there were several moments where LSG lost the plot.

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Krunal Pandya and Co were set a target of 183 runs after Mumbai opted to bat, but it was not the chase pressure in a playoff match, but some spontaneous decisions on the field that turned out to be wrong. And of course, pacer Akash Madhwal (5/5), who was too good to disturb LSG batters and their momentum.

Akash Madhwal shines

Lucknow Super Giants probably did not see it coming. In fact, as far as Mumbai Indians are concerned, Akash Madhwal would have exceeded expectations with a fine spell with the ball. In a season where MI have struggled with their death bowling in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, in a crunch contest like the Eliminator, someone had to step up. And that someone turned out to be 29-year-old Akash Madhwal.

Madhwal is still a newbie to the IPL scene with just seven matches to his name, but he sure has exceeded expectations in not just the Eliminator, but throughout the tournament. Whenever given a chance, the cricketer from Roorkee has delivered, be it 3/31 against the Gujarat Titans or 4/37 against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

But, on Wednesday, Madhwal took his bowling to the next level. He finished with figures of 5/5 in less than four overs (3.3 overs to be exact), and in the process, he equalled Anil Kumble, for the least runs conceded for a fifer. Now, that’s an exclusive list to be part of.

While Madhwal did strike as early as the second over to remove Prerak Mankad, he was even more impactful in the middle overs. The biggest breakthrough yet for MI came in the 10^th over. Akash Madhwal had just cleaned up Ayush Badoni, and in came Nicholas Pooran.

Pooran had delivered the big runs regularly this season, but many would not have expected the West Indian to be dismissed for a first-ball duck.

To Pooran, Akash went around the wicket, angling onto the West Indian. There was seam movement from Akash’s delivery, and Pooran just poked the ball, but eventually ended up getting an edge onto wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan.

Pooran’s dismissal was possibly the last straw for LSG, but they still had Marcus Stoinis batting at the other end.

However, what followed Pooran’s dismissal is something that LSG may not even have imagined. In fact, they would have been embarrassed at least.

Run-out mess

LSG’s poor situation in the run-chase did not end there. It was only a couple of hours before when LSG were riding on productive spells from Naveen-ul-Haq (4/38) and Yash Thakur (3/34), but with the team reeling at 74/5 in the 10^th over, the bowlers’ heroics seemed like a distant memory.

To make matters worse in the second half of LSG’s chase, there were not one, but three run-outs. Run-outs where costly blunders could have been avoided.

Stoinis was probably one last hope to scripting a rescue act for LSG who were going down like ninepins. However, a terrible mixup between the Aussie and Deepak Hooda resulted in the former being run-out.

Stoinis was on strike, facing fellow Aussie Cameron Green, and set off for a single after flicking towards deep midwicket.

However, the blunder happened when both Stoinis and Hooda collided in the middle of the pitch. Both were busy watching the ball, and before Stoinis could return to the strikers’ end, Tim David, at long on, completed the throw to Kishan, who dismantled the stumps.

This was followed by another run-out, that of Krishnappa Gowtham, in the 13^th over. Gowtham only cut it away towards point, but nevertheless he carried on for an attempted single. Green was at point, who made a diving effort to stop and Rohit eventually collected the ball from Green, to aim the ball at the stumps at the keeper’s end, well before Gautham could make it.

Deepak Hooda at the other end could not believe what Gowtham had done, but the funny thing is, Hooda was the next (and last) to fall victim to a run-out.

Hooda’s partner Naveen-ul-Haq was the batter on strike. Naveen chopped towards Green at backward point and took off for a quick single. Green initially threw the ball towards the keeper’s end, where Akash Madhwal as well as both the batters were there, but Madhwal was quick to realise that Hooda had not been grounded yet, and threw the ball to Rohit at the bowlers’ end to complete the dismissal.

Barring Stoinis’ 40, there was nothing much to say about the Lucknow batters, who let the team down and cost them a spot in Qualifier 2. And those run-out blunders only added to the already-existent LSG misery.

Earlier in the game, LSG opted to go for Kyle Mayers over the experienced Quinton de Kock.

Krunal was questioned on why LSG went with Mayers over QDK, which he justified by saying Mayers had a better record than the South African.

“It’s just Kyle had a better record here [than de Kock]. We just felt we could go with Kyle,” said the LSG skipper.

Overall, this has been a mixed season for LSG altogether, starting with three wins in four games, then losing KL Rahul to injury, and following certain defeats (and an abandonment), to winning the last three league games that helped them qualify for the playoffs.

For MI, a new star is born in Akash Madhwal, but it’s that form from Rohit Sharma that is still questionable. Rohit had got off to a decent start, collecting a four and six off Krunal, but his lofted shot failed to get an elevation and was caught by the cover fielder.

For MI, it’s a quick turnaround to their next match, on Friday, when they face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2. GT have been the team to beat this season, but who knows which MI will turn up on Friday!

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